Thursday letters to the editor

Published
8:00 pm EDT, Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Animal owners beware

To the editor:

May I start out stating I live around North Eight Mile and Olson roads in Lee Township. Recently, I had an indoor/outdoor cat that was missing for seven days, and when she finally found her way home she looked as if she were in shock. I took her to the veterinarian, who diagnosed her as 90 percent blind, and severely brain damaged. She also informed me that this was not an auto injury, that it was definitely a purposeful blunt force trauma to the head, by a human, with nearly the strength of a horse kick. I brought her home for a couple of weeks, and she continued to deteriorate … developed a cataract in the eye she did have vision in, lost her personality completely, and her only memories were of being able to eat, and sit with me, where she would be cuddled and comforted, and would look in my face and cry. Needless to say, I had to have her "put to sleep" as I could not fathom her being this way for next 10-15 years. It broke my heart, along with my children who now have learned the cruelty of human beings.

This is a warning to the people in the area to watch your cats that go outside, you might just endure the pain and sadness that my cat, my family and I went though. It obviously did not matter to this person that my cat was licensed, vaccinated and spayed. There is always another way to get an unwanted cat off your property without using them as baseball bat, golf club or maybe a 2X4 to their heads. I remember years ago a neighbor's dog came into my house, and I chased him home with a teddy bear. It takes a certain type of evil or perversity to do this to an animal that is about 8 pounds up against the weight of a grown human male or female. My beliefs in such matters are that karma comes back to us when we do cruel or evil things, and as much as I hate to say this, I hope it comes quickly to the person responsible for this. May you also know that it is against the law to purposely hurt an animal, and if someone finds you doing it you could be up on serious legal charges.

I hope this serves both as a warning to my neighbors, and a serious warning to the person responsible for the loss of my beautiful, loving cat who was full of personality and never went too far from home. My cat Cuddle Bugs will forever be missed by all of us, and many tears shed over the cruelty we have learned of in this world.

I can say no more, but please please watch your animals carefully so you do not have to go through what we did.

CHRISTY MIKITEN

Midland

Condolences offered

To the editor:

I ran in the recent Chicago Marathon, as did Chad Schieber and many thousand others. I can attest to the brutal weather conditions he faced - high humidity, little shade and temperatures reaching 90 degrees. I didn't know Mr. Schieber, but I suspect he enjoyed the sport and put in many hours of training preparing for the event.

What's telling, however, are comments of many over the past few days. Clearly Mr. Schieber was more than a running enthusiast - he was a man much loved by the community, dedicated to his faith, family and profession. My condolences to Chad's family and friends.

GERALD BRUCE

Midland

Impeach 'em all

To the editor:

Impeach or recall Governor Jennifer Granholm; all state senators; all state representatives. It's time to bring the state government of Michigan back to the citizens.